Sparks
by CelticPhoenixProductions
Summary: Hunger comes in many forms; raw and physical, desperate and emotional. No matter the form, hunger preys on the soul, leaving the spirit emaciated in it's wake. Absolution for Mami would not come easy and Kyoko's stomach would likely remain empty... until the two stumble upon the spark brought by each other... [Real World AU] "Souls Beyond Time - Part 1"
_~Forward~_

 _Hello one and all to a newish fic on my part!_

 _Yes, I've been gone for a while. Yes, I actually was dead for a time. Kinda happens when you get engrossed in Dark Souls._

 _That said, if you've been wondering where I've been, I'm still writing. I'm actually around page 129 in my first full-length novel and I've started up a monthly review show on YouTube, not to mention a whole gaggle of other fun and awesome projects. So that's all been going on, and I thought that I might cool down with some less serious fanfiction writing._

 _This idea goes back quite a ways with me. I've always loved seeing real-life AUs of Madoka Magica, but there are too few of them that I feel really capture the essence of the girls in their adult life._

 _So, I'm looking to this fic, and its sequel fics, to show the girls developing over the course of several years into adulthood, covering a variety of different pairings that happen over the span of those years. Some of these pairings I don't really even have all that great enthusiasm for as a fan, but I see merit in them happening chronologically for character development reasons (this installment is one such example of that effect)._

 _They will also, in a bizarre change of character for my usual writing style, explore more sexual themes relating to character growth. While I won't be detailing some of the more intimate moments, since I generally find smut distracting and in most scenarios the characters involved will be legally under age, I find it is still an integral facet of a person's life and should be at the very minimum touched upon during their adolescent years when related stimuli are perceptively the strongest. Hence, I've labeled these stories as 'Mature' and should be viewed with discretion._

 _I hope you enjoy as we embark on the saga of Souls Beyond Time!_

O/o\O

Suggested Listening: "Sis Puella Magica", _Puella Magi Madoka Magica OST_

O/o\O

 _Sparks_

It was days like today that made her wonder why she was so lucky.

Well, 'lucky' wasn't the most befitting of words, she supposed. She figured that probably wasn't a term that should be thrown around so loosely considering her living situation. Yet, here she was, hale and hardy after surviving the car crash that'd taken her parents' lives a year ago to the day.

Being at a festival almost felt wrong. Perhaps that's why Mami had volunteered to help bake for one of the vendors; a type of penance for wanting to go to the local fireworks show as a guilty pleasure. The work was simple enough and well within her skill set and it made her feel like she wasn't making light of the tragedy that had suddenly started to malform her life.

She just got done handing out the last of the crepes, passing back a smattering of change to the customer, when the stand's manager rounded out from behind the rolling skillets, doughy hand rag thrown over his shoulder.

"Alright Tomoe, looks like we got things covered here for the rest of the night. You go ahead and enjoy the festival," the man said, a gentle smile settling at his lips.

Mami blinked.

"Really?" she asked, eyes flying to her watch. Through a cloud of flour she could barely make out the time. It was far later than she'd expected. The blonde raised her head, eyebrows raising, "But, well, there's still another hour left of the festival! I can still make another batch of muffins if you let me!"

The protest was met with an amused sigh, "Don't worry, we've been doing this for years; you've already helped enough as it is. Besides, the missus already told me she won't stand for a 13 year old missing out on such a fun festival."

Speak of the devil, a purple plomb of hair peaked out from around the fryers, a distended belly concealed in part by the utility, "Hey, you're telling Mami to leave, right?"

The man gave a pleasant huff, "Yes dear."

"And is she refusing to go?"

"Just like you said."

Mami watched the back and forth move by so smoothly; the relaxed tone, the graceful interplay. The two adults were captivating.

"Well, tell her she's fired; she's too damn nice. Makin' me look bad in front of the customers!" the woman ordered, the serious tone in her voice layered with a jovial intent.

"Are you sure that's not just because of the hormones? You _are_ about to pop, dear," the man chuckled.

"Oh, just wait till we get home mister, I'll show _you_ what 'popping' is really like!" the woman sniggered back. Mami had to stifle a giggle at the retort, though she felt there might have been some underlying emotion in the way the woman had replied. "But really," the woman groaned, pulling herself out from behind the fryers, "Go out there and have fun girl. He and I can handle the last hour trickle on our own. We didn't mean to have you captive all day."

Mami's mouth opened a fraction, a single 'buh' syllable escaping before a finger twixt her lips.

"Ah, ah, ah, no 'but's missy. You will get out of that apron," the wife explained, ripping the offending article off the young teen, "you will take this bag of treats, on the house," a brown bag of sweets from the vendor was shoved into her hands, "and you will enjoy the rest of this festival like a regular girl your age. Because that's what you _are_."

The violette slapped the blonde's shoulder and shoved her out the stall, into the space between venues.

"Now I am an emotional pregnant woman; I don't want to see your face for the rest of the night or else I might cry. Go!"

And like that Mami was pushed off into the night, abandoned by her employers to the wilds of a springtime Japanese festival.

The woman's smile slipped from her lips as Mami's blonde ponytail vanished into the crowd, "…She's too young to be so…"

"Responsible?" her husband finished. "You weren't kidding about that whole crying thing, were you?"

The woman shook her head, "I really might… I'm barely holding it back now, honestly… No one that sweet should have gone through something like that…"

"Well," the man replied, resting his hands on his wife's shoulders, "I'm at least glad we could help her, if only a little bit."

The woman slipped her fingers into his, "So am I…"

She leaned into his hold, smiling up at him and kissing him on the lips.

The quiet between them was nice against the ambiance of the festival around them.

She smiled, "And I wasn't lying to you about showing what 'popping' _really_ means when we get home, mister."

The woman popped her lips for emphasis, smiling and leaning into another kiss.

"Then maybe we should close down the stand early," the man replied back.

O/o\O

Mami sighed, leaning back on the temple steps, one hand languidly resting on her stomach. She'd downed a good third of the dango the manager's wife had given her, along with one of the taiyaki and she was already feeling full.

She considers, briefly, that maybe having a big breakfast wasn't such a great idea, but the other half of her brain argued back that she hadn't planned on eating during the festival.

Sucking in the cooling air, Mami frowned. The couple had rushed her off, and she appreciated the effort, but without baking she was left with nothing to occupy her mind from… thoughts…

Flashes of the headlights, the blood on her hands, the way her mother had cried as Mami had dragged herself from the wreckage, the way her mother had reached for her in her last moments, the way her father's head had bee-

"Y-you gonna finish that?"

The nervous voice broke Mami's recollection.

Golden eyes fell upon a fiery spirit in a ratty green kimono, a girl no older than herself and infinitely more uncomfortable where she was standing. The redhead's arms were cross and demure, her face angled off to the side, completely avoiding eye contact, red crossing her cheeks which were puffed to a very slight degree.

"…What?" Mami asked, words slipping from her mouth unconsciously.

The redhead nodded to the box of dango situated on Mami's lap before looking away once more, "That… are-are you gonna finish it?"

The blonde's face became much like the treat, soft and warm.

"I wasn't planning on it-…" she started. The redhead didn't even bat an eye before narrowing her brows.

"Don't waste food!" the other girl snapped, her face going from shy to enraged in a heartbeat.

Mami flinched and tightened her hands reflexively around the box. She recomposed herself, doing her best to seem calm despite the sudden shock the outburst had caused her.

"I-I… as I was saying," Mami stuttered, "As I was saying, I wasn't planning on it… so if you want it, you can have it…"

The box was extended, Mami's smile wavering ever so slightly in doubt. That doubt faded the minute the other girl blanched, eyes completely averted.

A second past before the girl took the box and sat down beside Mami, her eyes never leaving the dish. It was only when the girl got closer that Mami could tell how gaunt the redhead was; cheeks sunken, eyes dark, her yukata hanging from emaciated wrists and bony ankles. There was no doubt in Mami's mind that if she were to see the girl's stomach she'd see a flap of skin pulled taut over constricted ribs.

A hesitant hand dropped to the half-eaten stick of sweet balls, fingers twitching as the girl seemed to wage an internal battle. After a moment of though, she dug in, downing the half eaten stick and it's still full sister in a fraction of what it had taken Mami.

The blonde watched, both fascinated and horrified by the behavior.

Both allowed the ambient crowds around them to fill the air; children screaming, teenagers laughing, adults talking, all mixing around like a milky summer elixir.

Then, the first hint of tears.

The redhead shuddered, long, unruly bangs hiding her eyes, though there was no mistaking the salty drips falling from her cheeks.

"Th-thank you… a-and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap…"

A sleeve jumped to the girl's eyes, a hard sniff resonating behind crimson locks.

Slowly, Mami reached out a hand to the girl's, gripping down on the knuckles gently when the redhead tried to jerk away.

"Are… you okay?" Mami asked, brows furrowing.

"Eh?" the girl grunted, finally raising her eyes to meet Mami's for the first time that night, "What? Yeah, 'f'course I'm fine…"

The words were hollow, much like the girl's sallow lips.

"Because eating ten dango that fast is rather… alarming…" the blonde winced, freehand stroking through her ponytail.

To her surprise, a genuine (though tainted) laugh escaped from the girl, a bark almost, "If you think that's scary, you should've seen me when I was younger. I could eat for days before…"

The words tailed off.

Mami tightened her hold on the girl's hand, only for the redhead to finally wrest it away.

"I…" the girl droned, the smile from her laugh vanishing in a flash. "M-my sister… my family… we don' got much to eat…"

Mami watched as the girl glared into the empty dango box, eyes trailing over what remained of the sticky sauce. For the briefest second she recalled her mother's hand, reaching out from the wreckage.

"I… I didn't mean to eat… I mean… I wanted some for Momo…" the redhead mumbled, pricks of tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.

Mami stared for a moment longer before giving a gentle smile. Without a moment's hesitation she plopped the brown bag of goodies right into the girl's lap, letting her grin widen when the redhead blinked back at her in confusion and surprise.

"I wasn't going to eat all of that; I'm already full for tonight and if I want sweets I can always make more," Mami explained. "And, if you want anymore, the dango I helped make weren't exactly selling well since I think another booth down the line had a better asking price… So I'm sure I could ask the manager if he'd be willing to part with a few extra skewers after closing… that is if you don't mind them being cold…"

The redhead was dumbstruck, mouth parted, letting Mami catch sight of sauce residue gracing the girl's jaw. The miniature chef plucked a napkin from the bag and dabbed at the girl's face, causing the wild girl to turn away with a dusty red coloring to her cheeks.

"…D-dad told me to not trust strangers who were too nice…" the girl growled, though there didn't seem to be much bite in her bark.

"Well… I mean… if you don't want it then," Mami sighed, adding a coy smile. The girl seemed to get the picture.

"No! No!" the redhead spouted, "I-I do! Really! Please!"

Immediately the girl was on her knees, prostrating herself to the blonde, who was taken aback by such a desperate gesture. Mami shook her head, laughing as she stood and patted the girl on the back.

"No, no, you don'- I was kidding, I'm going to help you!" the blonde explained, helping the girl to stand. Mami dove into the girl's red irises, doing her best to beam her brightest smile, "I'd never take back an offer to help someone. Ever."

She ended the little speech by resting her hands on the girl's shoulders, feeling the shaking bones underneath her fingers. It might have been a delusion, but she thought she heard the girl rattling.

"I… I…" the girl sniffed, lowering her head. In a blink the girl was wrapped around her, pawing at Mami's back in a desperate attempt to hold the blonde closer. Mami returned the hold, though the sudden spike in both affection and adoration was mildly unnerving.

"T-thank you, thankyouthankyouthankyou so much!" the redhead bawled, rubbing her face into Mami's shoulder.

Mami patted the girl's back, and though she herself felt incredibly uneasy, she allowed herself to relax into the hold.

"Not a problem," Mami sighed. A few stray moments passed before she managed to peel the redhead off her, extricating her face from the fiery locks that framed the girl's back.

"I… didn't… I'm Kyoko, Kyoko Sakura," the girl beamed, tears still staining her cheeks. The blonde closed her eyes, keeping her grin constant.

"Mami Tomoe. It's nice to meet you, Miss Sakura," Mami laughed. She pulled herself from Kyoko's grasp, picking up the errant doggybag.

A distant flash signaled the start of the fireworks display for the night, a distant rumbling echoing through the town in the wake of the first explosion.

Using her free hand, Mami looped a palm around one of Kyoko's, clasping it like a singular claw, a nice, friendly, calming gesture. Smile never fading she asked a very simple question, "So, should we go get those treats for your family?"

Kyoko, nodded, her eyes alight with distant fireworks, both real and figmented.

And on that night, for the first time since the accident, Mami found a way to forget about her horrendously amazing luck.

O/o\O

"I'm comin' in!"

The jubilant voice bounded around the room, giving Mami pause as she removed the lasagna from the oven. Setting the heated dish on its cooling rack, she removed her ovenmits and patted her hands, removing a smattering of dough that had caked its way onto her fingers.

"Welcome h-back, Kyoko!" Mami smiled, threading a finger over one of her twindrills. "I'm in the kitchen! I'm finishing up dinner!"

It had been months since they'd met, a year to the day, if it weren't for the leap year, so the casual way that Kyoko entered Mami's apartment wasn't all too surprising. It was almost ritual at this point for the redhead to spend time with Mami when she wasn't at school or off helping her father with church work. Heck, Mami would have guessed that she and Kyoko probably spent the majority of their time together, going so far as to get Father Sakura's blessing for Kyoko to stay over at Mami's a few times each week since she lived so close to school. It probably helped that she also helped Kyoko keep her grades up.

The two had become fast friends after the festival the year prior. Originally Mami had thought the two would never see Kyoko again after that night; play good Samaritan and never see the results of her labor, a fitting trade off for finding enjoyment on the anniversary of her parents' deaths.

But, lo and behold, shirking Kyoko wasn't something she had been able to do so easily. No, following the close of Golden Week and her return to school, Mami found out that she and Kyoko were actually in the same school, in the same grade even, though not in the same classroom (obviously). Finding each other during lunch had been a treat for the two (though, more so for Kyoko, considering she swiped a healthy portion of Mami's homemade bento). They made plans to see each other after class and the rest had become history for the two.

Mami found the less emaciated Kyoko to be entertaining in her own right; an active and spunky girl who often prided herself on her dedication to the good in people. Despite a consistently crass exterior, marred by irreverence for polite conversation and a shirking of social taboos, the redhead often seemed to have other people's best interest at heart, and at the very least tried to make others around her smile. She was far and away a departure from the desperate girl Mami had met on those temple steps a year back.

For her part, the blonde had embraced the companionship that came with Kyoko. Normally she'd have writhed against it, seeing it as some kind of affront to her family's tragedy, but Kyoko carried with her an aura of determination and finality; she wanted to be Mami's friend, she was staying, and Mami had the choice to embrace that or utterly reject a good person who'd done nothing wrong.

And she supposed it was for the best. In a way, she was still doing a service. Kyoko was _much_ healthier now that Mami was offering her food every lunch period. It also probably helped sway Father Sakura when Kyoko kept asking to stay over; he'd know that those nights Kyoko would be fed. Very often he actually requested Momo stay with the pair as well, something Mami was just fine allowing. Apparently a priest's wages weren't something that could help raise a family, especially after being cut off from the main sect due to 'theological and philosophical differences'.

Mami herself lived alone, an artifact of some legal mumbojumbo she only vaguely understood, so the company wasn't going to bother her. Plus, it felt good using some of her inheritance for someone else's benefit other than her own, so it was in some ways a net-gain for everyone. She'd even gotten in the habit of making a weekly meal to share with the Sakuras, where the five of them would enjoy it over at the family's household.

One such meal was just about done; a full course of Italian dishes, a switch up from her usual traditional Japanese choices. Of course, she almost _always_ erred on the side of making western desserts, no matter the circumstance; she found the variation very attractive and often leapt at the chance to try a new baking recipe. Tonight's dessert was composed of individual tiramisu bites topped with a light strawberry sauce, something she was _very_ eager to hear feedback on.

"Mmm… Mami, it smells amazing!" Kyoko cooed, floating into the room on the tips of her toes. Her eyes were closed and a small trail of drool was already threatening to roll from her lips.

The blonde gave Kyoko a soft poke on the forehead, snapping the redhead out of her daze with a sheepy grin.

"Remember the last time you walked in here with your eyes closed? I don't want to clean up any pickles today," Mami droned, doing her best to stifle her own smile.

The girl pouted, crossing her arms, oversized green sweat jacket scrunching with the effort, "I'm not normally that clumsy, y'know. Blame the stupid jar for being so tight."

Mami removed her finger and nodded to the food, "Well, if you want to prove you're not clumsy, you can help me pack this all up to go. We should still have about an hour to get to your house, but I want to make sure the meal is still warm so heat up doesn't take quite so long."

"Sure!" Kyoko chirped, slipping over to the counter. And slipping _was_ an appropriate term, because a tile of Mami's floor chose that moment to slide out from under the redhead's foot.

The girl staggered forward, hands immediately reaching out for support. In a flash Mami was at her side, shielding Kyoko from the impending counter with her own body. The two were captured by the sudden spike of adrenaline and its inevitable slow decline.

The chef let out a relieved sigh, chuckling, "Welp, proof's in the pudding Kyoko…"

That's when Mami noticed where Kyoko's face had landed. Things had changed rather abruptly after meeting Kyoko, for only a month after meeting the other girl Mami had entered pubescence, with a whole host of irritations and embarrassing problems following right behind. The first had been the onset of a certain monthly inconvenience. The second had been the rather… generous bosom that Kyoko's face was now wedged firmly in between.

Both of their faces flushed to the shade of Kyoko's hair, prompting Mami to slowly peel the shorter girl away.

Kyoko scratched her cheek and looked away, "P-pudding… right…" The redhead immediately looked to the hall, crimson eyes flickering under an array of unreadable thoughts, "L-look… M-Mami… I gotta… use the bathroom…"

"Y-yeah…" Mami agreed, her own eyes flying to the window. "You should have done that before offering to help. Remember to wash your hands…" she tried to make her voice sound less curt, but her mind was far more distracted by the beating in her ears and the pressure in her chest.

"Mmm… yeah… I'll… I'll do that…" Kyoko nodded, dashing off. There was an audible clack a few seconds later.

Once the door was closed, Mami allowed herself to uncoil, one hand leaning down on the counter while the other clawed at her chest. This was, she was sure, the third and most problematic of the things brought on by puberty; the gradual but intense attraction to her best friend.

Mami hadn't exactly been a late bloomer; there were plenty of signs of her adolescence over the last few years (hair, she remembered having a lot of issues with hair; those had been dark days), and she'd started feeling attraction to the people around her well before she'd met Kyoko… but Kyoko was the only real friend she'd had after the accident, at least the only friend her age.

There had been a number of issues that arose with the budding realization, compounding her irritation with the growing process. Front most was the question of whether she was actually gay. After some soul searching (and some… other types of searching) she found herself to be rather flexible on the matter, though by all means Kyoko was the only person she knew who'd captured her eyes.

She'd heard about how hormones got the best of people, how they'd swing between different emotions on a dime and attractions would flicker on a moment's notice. But damnit if every single time her golden irises met those crimson orbs Mami's knees became weak by the sheer force of that earnest smile alone.

"And now I almost suffocated her in my breasts… great," Mami huffed, giving her breasts an irritated push. She didn't see why boys were so attracted to them; all they did was throw her natural balance off and give her back problems forty years earlier than she was supposed to have them. That also wasn't accounting for how expensive bras were for C cups at age 14; she was convinced it was a racketeering ring.

There was a flush from the hall, the sink spouting to life a hair later.

Mami swallowed, trying to compose herself, slowly smoothing out her frilled white blouse.

The door opened and Kyoko came around the bend, looking far less flustered and far more relaxed.

"A'ight! Ready to go!" the redhead grinned, giving a confident thumbs up.

Thick, uncertain air dispelled from around the two following Kyoko's assurance, letting Mami give an unintentional sigh of relief.

"Good, now help me with this pan, it's a tricky one…"

And with that, things returned to normal, or as normal as things could get between an orphan and a priest's daughter.

With the food packed up and ready to go Mami donned a light blue cardigan and joined Kyoko in putting her shoes on.

"Oh yeah, you did that drill thing with your hair today, too," Kyoko noted, tightening a rabbit ear and standing to her full height.

Mami touched a finger to her hair, smiling, "Yes, I think I rather like it. I isn't too terribly hard to pull off, either."

"Well, it looks good on you. I hope you keep it around," Kyoko shot another 100-watt smile and Mami's heart almost burst through her chest.

Dinner was going to be quite the ordeal.

O/o\O

"Look, it's not my fault you're bad at catching fish…" Kyoko huffed, stuffing her hands behind her head.

"It's less that and more that an 11 year old showed me up four times in a row…" Mami groaned, poking at the bagged koi. The fish flittered to the other side of the pouch to avoid the intruding finger.

Kyoko bumped into the blonde's side, "Aw, c'mon. At least you caught one. Remember how bummed I was after that pickup soccer game where I wiffed like three scoring shots? You've got nothing on that."

Mami glared at the tongue sticking out of Kyoko's mouth.

After dinner the Sakuras and Mami had changed out of their street clothing and into traditional festival fair before heading down to the stalls for a pleasant evening of games and familial shenanigans. They had all agreed to go together several weeks back, though Mami was somewhat hesitant to turn down the same offer to cook as she'd had the year prior. Ultimately she'd dedicated herself to spending time with Kyoko's family, leaving her Kimono over at the household during the previous week's dinner get-together.

Momo, Kyoko's younger sister, had managed to outdo Mami at almost every carnival game, leaving the buxom blonde distraught with her 'cool big sister' image irrevocably tarnished. At the very least, Kyoko being better than her was fair; the two were the same age. But someone three years her junior absolutely destroying her at catching koi had been a major blow to her ego. Though, she _did_ make up for it in some small part by creaming both Kyoko and Momo at the shooting gallery games.

The Sakuras had headed home only a few minutes prior, taking with them the exhausted Momo and leaving Kyoko under Mami's care for the night.

Mami found the mood delightful; the lanterns spreading a gentle, diffuse light over the stalls, the people creating an amiable background noise, and the smells that told of hundreds of ready-to-be-eaten sweets and snacks.

For a time, she and Kyoko just glided through the stalls, perusing but never stopping, enjoying each other's company and conversation. At some point down the line the two had linked hands.

Eventually the night began to wane, with stalls packing up and people dispersing and heading home. By this time the red-gold duo found themselves on the steps of the shrine, sitting comfortably on the stone steps. They were content in the silence, Mami absently running her thumb over the webbing of Kyoko's hand.

"This is nice…" Mami sighed, leaning back. "Look at how much has managed to change in a year… Maybe this shrine is good luck…"

Kyoko was silent, her gaze squaring away into the distance, towards the stall workers but never quite reaching them.

A choked question dropped from the redhead's lips, "Can I be… honest with you? About something...?"

Mami cocked her head to the side, orange yukata sliding over her collarbone, "What is it?"

The crimsonette clenched her teeth before gently extraditing her hand from Mami's grasp. A sardonic grin met her face.

"I was terrified when we first met," Kyoko explained, hugging her knees. "I didn't know who you were, but… I was starving. My whole family was starving… And we're still struggling, but you…" In a rare scene, Kyoko's trademark grin softened into a gentle smile, "You were a real hero. You still are, especially if you ask Momo. Your meals are a highlight every week. Dad and Mom might not say much more than 'thank you', but I can tell, every time you walk through that door with your meals they relax, like you lift a burden off their shoulders, if only for a night or two."

Mami sucked in a breath. She had noticed the shift in the Sakura family; the way they always complimented her cooking far more than she thought it was actually worth, the way they horded the leftovers, and the borderline tears that appeared whenever she'd show up and surprise them with a second meal that week.

A well of feeling bubbled in her chest, not all of it comfortable, most of it embarrassing.

"So… thanks, I guess…" Kyoko mumbled, "Y-you changed my life, y'know? My whole family… things with you around have been better. They always are when you're around…"

The look on Kyoko's face was one Mami had only seen twice before, though in a far different context. Humility, a rare trait for the athlete to display; normally she was pompous, spry and could at times be condescending (especially when someone challenged her father's teachings), and though she could acknowledge when someone was better at something than her, this was something entirely.

This was the look she gave her father when Mami had decided to visit one of the pastor's sermons. This was the look when she'd first thanked Mami for sharing her food a year back. This was the look of Kyoko putting someone completely and utterly over herself.

Mami found that felt those uncomfortable feelings burbling over. This was wrong. Kyoko was wrong. She needed to dispel this air, prove that she wasn't the real hero.

She sucked in a breath and began to speak, "I stuttered today… when you came over…"

Kyoko perked, not expecting the tangential remark.

"I…" the blonde started, trying to piece together her words from the slaw in her head, "I wanted to say… 'Welcome Home'… I wanted to hold you close and never let go." She winced, the admission as embarrassing as it was painful, "I… I'm lonely, Kyoko. You might have been scared when you met me… but as much as I know it won't happen, I'm scared that you're going to leave…"

"Mami…" Kyoko breathed the air in a singular, surprised gust.

The chef continued, "It's easy to be kind… it's hard to be kind and stay sane… You've helped me realize a lot of things, and one of them is that I need to be selfish sometimes, even when you feel it's wrong…"

Her friend wrapped a calming hand around her own, reconnecting the two. Mami could feel a rapid pulse through calloused layers of skin.

"I don't deserve to be happy like this… My parents died because of me… and here I am replacing them with another family that makes me happy…" Mami observed, tears dribbling from her eyes.

Kyoko's finger scraped at the blonde's cheeks, silently letting Mami vent. She pulled her into a hug, letting the tears deepen the jade of her yukata.

"My dad says everyone deserves to be happy. And if life is unfortunate, we help pick each other up; that's just basic human decency," Kyoko cooed, brushing a finger along one of Mami's drills. "God has a plan," the redhead continued, nuzzling into Mami's neck and closing her eyes, "maybe He knew we needed each other… Maybe we were always destined to meet. Whatever it is, I could never blame you for anything that happens; you're like an angel…" Kyoko pulled back and smiled, letting Mami dry her eyes, "… and what kind of idiot would blame an angel for being a little selfish from time to time?"

The two looked at each other, gold meeting red in mutual, unspoken appreciation.

That was before Kyoko's eyes dulled a degree, causing the redhead to look away. She swallowed.

"And… what you said about being selfish sometimes… even when you feel it's wrong…"

Kyoko seemed to steel herself, gulping in a mouthful of air before letting it turn to vapor in the night sky. Then, with little warning, she lunged forward and caught Mami's lips on her own.

Golden irises widened before the fire that Mami had kept tamed in the pit of her stomach decided to loose itself and she melted into the kiss. She lost track of how long the kisses lasted before they pulled back for air, but the fact they needed to breathe told her all she needed.

They peeled apart, though Kyoko immediately wrapped her arms back around Mami and pulled her close.

"I love you, Mami…" Kyoko whispered, for only Mami to hear.

Mami returned the hug, leaving a hesitant, but gentle kiss to Kyoko's neck, "I love you too, Kyoko…"

They pulled apart and looked at each other once again. Almost immediately they launched into another cavalcade of pecks, each more feverish than the last.

"Your dad though… the church," Mami asked in between the heated kisses.

Kyoko stole another kiss before replying, "He doesn't need to know… besides… he's very… open with his interpretations…"

Huffing and out of breath, the two stared at each other. Mami took in a little extra air with her next breath, "Then… Well… Uh… My bed is actually pretty cold…"

The blonde's face went red as she looked to the left, her insides boiling to a melting point.

"What?" Kyoko asked, the sudden confusion breaking the mood. "You're bed's one of the comfiest things in your house, how could it be cold? Why is that even relevant…?"

Mami grimaced under her blush, "Kyoko… that's not what I was… uh… asking…"

Kyoko blinked, her own face lighting up even brighter than before, "Oh… Ooooh…"

There was one final moment of quiet before Kyoko cupped Mami's face in her hands and pulled her into a slow, long kiss; an answer through action and not words.

Not a single syllable was spoken after that. The two gathered themselves, cupped hands, and made their way back to Mami's apartment.

Or as they called it, home.

O/o\O

Another year had come and gone. Another blissful year.

Mami watched Kyoko's sleeping form, the redhead's hair sprawled out like webs on the satin pillows. She trailed a finger through the locks, letting each strand drip back to the bed, liquid in its movement.

Sadly though, as the rising sun in the window could tell her, the pair had little time to enjoy the morning. Perhaps once they were out of school they could laze around in bed together all they wanted, but as two fifteen year olds looking to pass pre-calculus they had priorities to attend to.

Mami nudged her girl friend, engaging the patented 'Kyoko wakeup sequence' as Momo had so dub it. First a choked breath as the drool pooling in her mouth drained back down her throat, then a closed-mouth scowl, followed closely by a stretch and a yawn, both of which culminated in her eyes finally opening.

"What's'it? Time t'get up alrea'y?" the other girl mumbled, ruffling the sheets around her bare skin.

The blonde nodded, kissing Kyoko's forehead before slipping out of bed, "Yep. Why don't you head to the bathroom and I'll get breakfast started. Anything in particular you want for lunch?"

Kyoko shrugged, languidly slipping from her own side of the bed, "That pork last night was pretty good. I wouldn't mind if you did something with that."

Mami nodded, sliding on her bathrobe and bracing a hand against the door, "I'll see what I can whip up."

Peaceful mornings like this were what Mami lived for these days. A moment in time inescapable, the moment she could do the thing she loved most for the person she loved on a lovely Spring day.

She had just gotten done with the eggs when a pair of arms wrapped around her waist and a chin rested on her shoulders.

"Gotta love me some eggs," a wicked, playful tooth printed into her skin. "Sunny side up like my sun…"

Mami snorted, craning her head to look at her lover, "What's got you in such a romantic mood?"

"Do I need a reason when you're dressed like you are?" Kyoko asked, playing with the belt keeping Mami's robe in place. Mami slapped the hand away, chuckling.

"Oh please, we don't have any time this morning. Don't try to tease me like that," the blonde scolded, gently peeling her girlfriend away. At the beginning of their relationship they'd both missed a smattering of schooldays, or at the very least arrived late, due to a proclivity for… exploring the bounds of their relationship in the mornings. And while Mami had to admit that those experiences were some of the most pleasant she'd ever had, she had a far better grasp on her hormones at this point. What would once get them scolded at school could not be easily put off until the duo had finished their homework at the end of the day.

"Drat," Kyoko muttered, waltzing away from the kitchen, towards the bedroom. "Well, if I ain't usin' this smokin' body, might as well put clothes on it!" the redhead chortled.

Just as she went beyond the hallway's divider, the phone rang.

"Kyo, can you get that? I'm in the middle of something here," Mami asked, rearranging the eggs very carefully so they wouldn't burn.

"Yep yep," the girl yawned, popping back from around the corner clad only in panties and the school's button up dress shirt. Mami made sure to avert her gaze and avoid any possible temptation.

"This is the Tomoe house, how can I help you?" Kyoko chirped into the receiver.

The sound of eggs was joined by panicked speech on the other end of the line.

Mami's spine went cold at the sound; something familiar for all the wrong reasons.

"What?!" Kyoko gasped, her voice raising an octave halfway through. Mami glanced back and watched as Kyoko's fist tightened around the handset. If she wasn't mistaken, cracks were forming in the plastic. "Where are they?!" the shout was harsh, bitter, scared.

The voice seemed to respond for only a scant second before Kyoko dropped the receiver where she was standing and bolted into the bedroom.

"Kyoko?!" Mami shouted, confusion leaking from the lone word. "Kyoko! What's going on? What's wrong?"

Panic began to build in her chest.

Before she could blink her girlfriend was hopping out of the bedroom, one hand fastening a skirt while the other pulled a mismatched pair of socks up higher. Clothes disheveled, but on, she moved toward the front door, only pausing when Mami stood in her way.

"Kyoko, what the hell has gotten into you?" Mami shrieked. The blonde's chest was like a vice grip. She didn't even know what had happened and she wanted to throw up.

Kyoko gave her girlfriend a single look, filled with brimming tears, fear, and fury. And then those same eyes slowly began to widen, staring deeper and deeper it seemed into Mami's very soul.

The redhead staggered back, blinking with her mouth agape before she shook her head, buried her face in the air in front of her and sprinted for the door without a single word.

A minute later and she'd vanished completely from the apartment, with only a whirlwind of chaos left in her wake.

Mami's body felt numb as she padded into the kitchen. The look on Kyoko's face had done more to terrify her than any car crash ever could. She could only imagine the look on her own; the dull, confused and empty stare that searched for answers with none to find… until she spotted the downed phone.

Clawing for it, she pressed it to her ear.

"Hello? Are you still there?" Mami asked.

" _Ah, yes… Who is this?_ " a man replied.

"This is Mami Tomoe, Kyoko was staying over today… But you already knew that since you knew where to call…" she muttered, fingers playing with the hem of her robe.

" _I see…_ "

"She… just left… I don't know where she's going, but can you please tell me what happened? She… she… The Sakuras are like family to me…" Mami pleaded, hoping that would give her some leeway.

" _Oh… uh… well… actually, this concerns them… you see, there's been an incident of sorts…_ "

And for the next five minutes Mami listened to the man recount how Kyoko's father had attempted to murder his entire family before attempting suicide.

For the first time since her parents had died, Mami cried her eyes out.

O/o\O

A week later they met on the steps of the shrine, as they had so many times before. Only this time, there was no levity. There was no relief.

Even if she didn't know why, Mami could feel a bloody gap spanning between them, keeping the two distant.

"Kyoko…" Mami started, taking a light step forward.

Kyoko stepped back in response, her eyes buried in her bangs. Her mouth edged into a scowl.

"Just… stay back!" the redhead snapped.

Mami's hand, which had been outstretched, recoiled back as though it had been burned. The blonde frowned, fingers gripping the fabric of her shirt over her heart, "…Are they okay…?"

The wind created an extra rift between the two, howling from the tunnel created by the park pathway.

"They're… recovering… But…" Kyoko's words were bitter, cold. Even at this distance Mami could see the twin streams hedging down the girl's face. "We're… We're going… Moving to Kazamino…"

Kazamino was three hour's drive from Mitakihara. Which meant…

"Are you… are we…" Mami tried to swallow the lump in her throat.

Kyoko's fists tightened, her scowl deepened, "If I hadn't been with you that night, none of this would have happened… I could have stopped him… I could have… talked him down!"

The words cut. Mami could feel the heat radiating from the athlete, nothing at all like the warmth that they had shared over so many nights.

"Kyo-…"

"Don't call me that!"

Mami flinched.

"Don't call me anything. Just…" Kyoko was visibly shaking at this point, her finger pulling at the green sweat jacket, "I never want to see you again!"

And with that Kyoko turned on her heel and sprinted from the shrine, leaving Mami to mull over the cruelest words of someone she thought she knew.

The blonde collapsed, her legs falling out from under her as what had just happened began to sink in.

No more lunches on the roof sharing treats, no more family dinners, no more nights under the city lights.

The cold that began eating away at her heart was something she hadn't felt in a while, a familiar but unfriendly sensation that made her body start shivering.

Tears had come first, then the laughing, endless, raucous laughter devoid of joy or sentiment. And then her mind relinquished its feeble attempt to keep her sane. The laughter turned into moans and soon she was nothing but a sobbing heap on the stones, trapped in a coil of her own reality.

It was a moment, much like her family's death, that would stay with her forever; a moment in time, inescapable… the moment when she lost the last light in her world.

O/o\O

 _~Author's Note~_

 _Well, there's the first installment. I won't make any promises on how many I'm going to write, since I've proven myself unreliable when it come to fanfiction (Sorry Subversion crowd, I don't know when I'll be able to get back to it :/ ), but I do have a vague idea of how many other sections there will theoretically be. Every story in this chronology will be presented as an individual story and will be treated as it's own closed book, so to speak. I don't like leaving people with cliffhangers where it's unnecessary._

 _When will the next story be out? I don't know. Unlike most of the other stories, that one will focus on a more unconventional duo, so I'm going to go into it slow. It should be shorter, however. Much shorter._

 _If you'd like more content from me, I run a YouTube channel under the name "CelticPhoenixProductions". Feel free to check it out for movie/game/story reviews, analysis, skits and let's plays! That's something I update FAR more regularly and I treat it as my main profession at the time of this writing._

 _Thanks to everyone sticking by me so far, and I'm sorry for the quiet period. I can't wait to see what you all think of this story. I hope you all enjoy it! :D_

 _That's all for now, catch you on the flipside!_


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